The Great Dark

Agleam, aglitter, aglow—
Even the faintest star
Always knows how far
To cast its light
Around the unsuspecting moon.
What little hope remains:
We tuck inside a pocket,
Seal within an envelope,
Lock behind a door.
And, still, there’s no guarantee
That what we see
Illuminates the great dark.
Could the firefly speak,
She would reveal
The story of her life,
Where day becomes night
With just the sudden flick
Of an internal switch.
If only it were that simple
For the rest of us,
Caught somewhere in midair,
Flying through the gloom—
Our fluorescent search begun,
Love’s labor never done.